Centre not keen on paddy purchase, TS team returns empty-handed

HYDERABAD: The state government delegation comprising five ministers and TRS MPs, camping in Delhi since Saturday last, returned to Hyderabad on Friday empty-handed as the Centre did not respond to its demand for a written assurance on purchasing more paddy during the Kharif season.

The delegation comprising ministers S. Niranjan Reddy, Gangula Kamalakar, G. Jagadish Reddy, Vemula Prashanth Reddy and Errabelli Dayakar Rao along with TRS MPs was waiting for word from Union food minister Piyush Goyal.

Earlier, the delegation was made to wait for three days and could meet Goyal on December 21. The delegation told Goyal that the Centre had fixed a target to purchase 60 lakh tonnes of paddy from Telangana in the Kharif season.

This was completed by December 21. Another 60 lakh tonnes of paddy was ready for procurement, the delegation said and asked that the Centre enhance the target to at least 90 lakh tonnes. The state government would buy the paddy from the farmers for MSP and supply it to the Centre's Food Corporation of India (FCI).

If the Centre did not take additional stocks after the government procured paddy, the state would suffer huge losses, they said, and sought a written assurance specifying how much additional quantity it would procure.

Goyal remained non-committal and said that he could give clarity in two days after discussing with FCI officials. With no word from Goyal and the year-end holiday season beginning, the team decided to return on Friday.

Niranjan Reddy speaking to the media in Delhi accused the Centre of humiliating Telangana state by denying appointments besides ignoring the paddy procurement issue raised by the state government.

He said they came to Delhi not to do politics but the Centre indulged in politics by not discussing the issue. This proved that the Centre's talk of adopting 'cooperative federalism' was an eyewash, he alleged.